


I Clutched Your Life (And Wished it Kept)

by Sendryl



Category: Naruto
Genre: Because you know I love that idea, Brief mention of Rin if you're paying attention, Gen, M/M, Summons, Wolves, magic forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sendryl/pseuds/Sendryl
Summary: But the strangest thing, by far, is the wolves themselves.The pack is small, only four in number. Or five. Sometimes three. They seem to change and flow, when Kakashi isn’t looking straight at them. They lead him on, deeper and deeper in forest that shouldn’t actually exist.It took Kakashi two days longer than it should have, to realize that they had long left any mapped areas behind. If his accounting of time is accurate, they should be out over open ocean by now, but somehow…The forest continues.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Hatake Sakumo, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75





	I Clutched Your Life (And Wished it Kept)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beetlebee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetlebee/gifts).



> My gift for Sloaners for the 30 Min to Scarecrow Event!
> 
> Love you Sloane!! Thanks for all your awesome content you make, and even more so, thank you for being the awesome person you are! You're the best, and you make fandom a really lovely place to be!!!

Kakashi isn’t sure what he’s looking for, when he follows the wolves out into the forest.

He’s somewhere outside Iwa now, five days travel from his last known coordinates. The forest is… Strange here. Not menacing, not imposing, but… Strange. The forest feels  _ too _ alive, in this place. 

The birds are chirping happily during the day, and owls and nighthawks call to each other over his head in the night.

But the strangest thing, by far, is the wolves themselves. 

The pack is small, only four in number. Or five. Sometimes three. They seem to change and flow, when Kakashi isn’t looking straight at them. They lead him on, deeper and deeper in forest that shouldn’t actually exist.

It took Kakashi two days longer than it should have, to realize that they had long left any mapped areas behind. If his accounting of time is accurate, they should be out over open ocean by now, but somehow…

The forest continues.

The birds’ calls begin to quiet on the sixth day.

They go silent on the seventh.

There are more wolves now, he’s sure of it, all shades and shapes. Tiny cubs growl and nip playfully at his feet, while dire wolves, larger than should be possible, step softly through the underbrush.

A massive wolf steps right over him, her belly just brushing the tip of his hair, and Kakashi feels no fear.

He is at home, here.

Finally, as the seventh day closes, as the sun sets somewhere behind the forest, a thick mist rises.

It swirls around his ankles, swallowing the wolves as it grows denser.

Out of the mist a temple appears.

Kakashi stops.

It’s the first time he’s stopped moving in a full week, and he should be exhausted right now, low on chakra and starving. But he feels full. Even Obito’s eye isn’t a drain on his chakra in this strange place.

He looks up, eyes drawn to the temple doors, and they stand open, welcoming.

Waiting to receive him.

Just like the man standing in the temple’s shadow.

The man takes a sharp breath, a single step forward into the light, and then - 

“Cub?”

***

Kakashi leaves the forest with a scroll and a promise, both sealed with blood, a long-forgotten scent in his nose, and a lead on an old, lost friend.

Those who abandon their teammates are scum.

And Kakashi, running forward, a white, blood-stained wolf at his heels, has never felt so clean.

***

The forest calls to him again on their way home after a mission, many years later.

They’re running now, together as they nearly always are these days.

Kakashi rarely lets Sakumo out of his sight, even if his father is far hardier these days than he was. Not much can truly harm a wolf summons.

But Kakashi almost never lets Obito out of his sight. Fully-fledged jounin or not, Obito still finds himself in far too many sticky situations for Kakashi’s comfort.

At least if he’s with Obito, they can face his enemies together.

Kakashi slows, lands on the thick branch of a Fire Country tree, and hears Obito’s sandals and Sakumo’s paws touch down beside him.

“Kakashi?” Obito asks, and Sakumo’s questioning whine echoes him.

“Let’s make a quick detour,” Kakashi murmurs, turning toward the deep part of the forest.

There’s a flash of brown fur, a form weaving in between the trunks, half-lost in gloom and shadow. Kakashi lifts his hitai-ate and catches a tiny streak of purple.

He turns back to Obito with a smile.

“I think there’s someone waiting for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is much shorter than my usual 30 min fics, mainly because I foolishly decided to art instead of write and then...
> 
> I forgot that I can't do good faces quickly. Ugh. Something to work on.
> 
> So there's this instead, written frantically with no plan in thirty minutes of mad flailing.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> (Also yes, Sakumo became a wolf summons. How? *Magic!* Or, you know, *chakra!* ...And yes, so did Rin, for Obito.)


End file.
